BLANCHED BROCCOLI

Green veggies ask for a light hand when exposed to heat. Here’s how to do it right… bright green, al dente and delicious.

BLANCHED BROCCOLI

Servings: 2-4

Time: 0hr 15mins

Difficulty: Easy

WHAT YOU NEED

WHAT TO DO

WHY

1 1/2-quart ice bath (3 cups ice to 3 cups cool tap water)

Prepare ice bath in a 3-quart bowl. Position near stove.

An ice bath is for “shocking” (stopping cooking precisely).

3 quarts water
2 teaspoons fine sea salt

In a 5-quart tri-ply stockpot bring water and salt to a rolling boil over high heat (6-8 minutes). Meanwhile, prepare broccoli.

Preheated water quickly cooks vegetables.

Up to 8 ounces broccoli florets divided into bite-sized pieces

OR

Up to 8 ounces broccoli stems, cubed to 1/2 inch

Load 1 cup into a blanching basket (a inexpensive mesh strainer with the handle bent upward works well). Plunge into boiling water just until broccoli turns bright green, 10-15 seconds for florets, 20-30 seconds for stems.

Tip: Cut broccoli florets from stems where they become multi-branched; divide florets into bite-sized pieces. Cut off and discard damaged/tough stem parts; cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch slices (as for French fries). Cut across slices to cube.

Overloading drops water below the boiling point, extending the cooking time, resulting in reduced vegetable firmness.

Promptly lift and shake to promote straining. Quickly drop into ice bath. Repeat with remaining broccoli. After adding final batch to bath, wait 1-2 minutes; pour off any ice cubes. Strain broccoli thoroughly. If not serving directly, refrigerate in a tightly sealed container for a convenient snack or side dish.

Pouring off ice is an efficient separation method. Otherwise, any ice cubes remaining has to be picked out.